Common Whitetail male

Description:

The Common Whitetail is one of our most frequently seen dragonflies. It grows to about 1 3/4 inches long and has a stocky body. Males have a chalky white abdomen which makes them easy to identify. Males also have a broad, dark brown band in the center of each wing. Female whitetails have a brown abdomen with yellowish dash-like markings on the sides. They have brown blotches in the center of each wing and at the tips. Both sexes have brown faces and brown legs.

Habitat:

Miller Springs Park is a 360-acre park located below Belton Lake, on the Leon River, in Bell County, Texas. It contains diverse riparian terrain, including limestone bluffs, estuarial wetlands, mountain cedar hilltops, and riverside cottonwood stands. Numerous trails traverse prairie-like open spaces and forests of native cedar elm, live oak, and red oaks. Recent floods have created a new canyon that reveals numerous layers of sedimentary rock and fossils. Area wildlife includes white-tail deer, red foxes, coyotes, black squirrels, armadillos, and about 200 species of birds in the course of the year.